AN ice dealer who refused to pullover for an unmarked police car after previously being abducted and bashed by drug associates has been jailed for 11 months.
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Bradley Gauchi, 30, of Goodall Street, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court last week to 17 charges including multiple counts of ice trafficking.
On Thursday magistrate Cynthia Toose said Gauchi had been involved in very significant offending which started in January this year and ended when he was remanded in custody.
She said dangerous driving while pursued by police placed road users at real risk and Gauchi was under the influence of drugs at the time.
The magistrate said Gauchi sold stolen items on a buy, swap and sell website and then in June he was caught trafficking ice and cannabis.
Ms Toose said Gauchi had been assaulted in the past and had 11 pages of prior convictions, including a sentence of 21 months' imprisonment imposed in the county court.
She said all of his offending related to a long-term and significant drug problem but any more offending would only bring Gauchi back to court where he would be sentenced to more jail terms.
Gauchi was convicted, fined $1000, banned from driving for 12 months, jailed for 11 months with 110 days counted as served and on release will be on another community corrections order with conditions he undertake assessment, treatment,rehabilitation and programs as requested.
Previously defence counsel Xavier Farrelly said his client suffered post traumatic stress disorder after a drug world bashing, which involved Gauchi having his head slammed in a car door.
Gauchi told his solicitor he thought he was going to die after being abducted from his car and severely beaten.
Police said that at 3am on January 21 Gauchi was driving at high speed in Warrnambool's Bromfield Street.
He went through a red light at an intersection with Raglan Parade, travelled at 130km/h down Queens Road before losing control and crashing into a brick fence causing $1650 damage.
Gauchi returned a positive test to ice and he said he had smoked the drug a couple of hours before driving.
That night police went to his home and on his mobile phone found messages relating to drug trafficking.
Gauchi said he refused to pull over for the unmarked police car because of his bashing experience.
Gauchi also sold a washing machine, TV unit and drier he found in his ex-girlfriend’s garage which he advertised on the Warrnambool Buy, Swap and Sell website.
